The finance committee of the university's board of trustees asked the governor and state legislators to approve a $480 million state budget for the five-campus system for the fiscal year starting July 1, a $36 million, or 8 percent, increase over the current state appropriation.

Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, a Barre Democrat and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said he viewed the university's budget plan as the opening round of budget discussions for the next fiscal year.

Brewer, a 1972 graduate of the flagship Amherst campus, said he is an advocate for the university.

Brewer said he will take "a balanced approach" with the fiscal 2014 state budget.

Brewer said he was aware that state funding could help determine if students experience another fee hike.

"Fees are always troubling, but so are taxes," Brewer said.

Stephen BrewerThe Republican photo by Michael S. Gordon

Trustees for the University of Massachusetts approved a 4.9 percent fee increase for students for this academic year. That increase added about $580 for in-state undergraduates there.

Students at the Amherst campus now pay, on average, $13,242 in fees. That does not include room and board, which comes to about $10,000.

The UMass increase this year followed a 7.5 percent, or $880 increase, that was approved in 2011 for the school year that ended in May.

Robert L. Caret, president of the university, said the university's goal is for the state to provide 50 percent of funding for the university's education programs.

“Like so many others, we hoped and expected that the state’s fiscal picture was going to brighten considerably this year," Caret said in a statement. "Clearly, that does not appear to be happening, but we believe it is important to advance our 50-50 goal as a means of eventually easing financial pressures on students and their families and stemming the rise of student debt."

Patrick announced budget cuts to deal with lower than projected tax collections for this fiscal year.

Five years ago, the state provided 57 percent of the funding for the university's educational programs and students and their families contributed 43 percent via tuition and fees, the university said in a press release.

In the current fiscal year, the percentages are reversed, with students providing 57 percent and the state 43 percent of the $1.35 billion needed for educational programs, according to the release.

Financial projections show that the university would require $50 million in additional total state funding in the next fiscal year and an additional $50 million in the year after that to reach a 50-50 funding balance.

Patrick will release his version of the fiscal 2014 budget in late January. After that, the state House of Representatives and the state Senate will approve separate versions. A House-Senate compromise will be sent to the governor, usually in late June.

The funding request approved by the trustees' committee on administration and finance goes to the full board of trustees on Dec. 12 at the Amherst campus.